Tokka Week 2013
by musicli
Summary: Tokka Week 2013
1. Shelter

"Sokka!" Toph yelled out "Sokka! Where are you?"

"I'm coming Toph! I'm coming!" Sokka yelled back while fighting his way through the blizzard winds. He lunged forward and pulled Toph against his chest. "I've got you, its ok" he whispered as Toph clung to his body, shivering "come on, I think there is a cave nearby where we can take shelter until the storm passes."

Sokka lifted Toph up and put her on his back and continued trudging through the deep snow and blasting winds to the cave. "We should be safe here until the storm passes" he said as he sat down against the cave wall with Toph in his arms, still shivering.

Sokka shifted and removed his coat before wrapping it around Toph's small figured and pulling her closer "I'm sorry" he whispered.

"If it was any normal circumstance, I'd tell you you should be" she stuttered and then punched him in the shoulder "but this isn't your fault."

Sokka held Toph tighter "I don't know when it will pass, we could possibly be here for days..." he said quietly.

Toph nodded, understanding "It's ok, we'll manage through but when we get back to the village, we are leaving and heading right back to Republic City."

Sokka chuckled "Deal."


	2. Somethings Never Change

It had been one year, one year exactly since the death of Toph's husband. Four months since the birth of her daughter, Lin, who she couldn't even bare to 'see' because it reminded her too much of Lin's father.

Toph was sitting alone in her bedroom, eyes red, cheeks stained with tears, and alcohol on her breath. This wasn't an unusual sight but this night was worse than the others, mostly because it was the anniversary of becoming a widow.

Toph stood up, stumbling and almost falling over before walking to the front door and opening it, to continue her drinking by buying more liquor and cactus juice, but was stopped when she realized someone was standing in front of her.

"Toph…" his voice said in a gentle tone.

She didn't respond, there was no need to, so she just turned around and sat down on the couch, pulling her knees to her chest.

Sokka sighed before coming inside and shutting the door behind him and then sitting down next to the, now crying again, Toph.

"Please go" she whispered in between sobs.

"Afraid I can't do that, I promised Aang and Katara to check up on you and make sure you were ok and it looks as if you are in need of help."

Toph turned her face away "I want to be alone."

Sokka took that moment to wrap his arms around the woman and pull her onto his lap "You want to be alone, but you need company."

She tried to squirm her way out of his arms but he held tight. "Sokka, please…" she cried.

"Toph, I'm not going."

And with that, she slumped in his arms, too upset to argue with him further as Sokka began to stroke her hair and rub her back.

"Why did he have to go?" She cried out "He left me here alone! With a goddamn kid, HIS kid. I can't even fucking look at my own daughter without breaking down! I love her, I want to be in her life, I just can't! I know it was selfish leaving her with you but I can't do it! Even if I could get over seeing her, I can't be a single mother! I'm blind! I'd end up dressing her in something ridiculous and she'd get picked on and hate me forever! I can't do a thing since he's left… I can't even stay sober."

Sokka held Toph against his chest while she cried more "You don't have to do it alone Toph. You have your family, Aang, Katara, and me, let us HELP you. We love you Toph, that's something that will never change. Please Toph. I can't watch you drink yourself to death either."

"But I want to…" she whispered.

"Toph…" Sokka held her tighter while he began tearing up "What about Lin?"

"Lin would be fine…" She whispered "Like you said, she's family too, you guys all love her and would take care of her better than I ever could."

Tears started falling faster "What about us?"

"What ABOUT us?" she asked confused.

"Please Toph, you can't do that to me!" He stuttered out "I love you, Toph!"

Toph's eyes widened "What?" she breathed out.

"Toph, I love you, I have for a while now. I broke up with Suki because I realized how in love with I really was. Please stay, just for a little while longer. Give me the chance to show you life is still worth living." Sokka paused "And if I can't convince you, I'll hand you the rope."

"Sokka…"

"Please Toph." Sokka begged.

Toph sat up in his lap and turned to face him before embracing him "I will" she whispered.

Sokka tucked his head into the locks of her hair and stopped crying while breathing the heavy smell of earth "thank you." He shifted slightly before standing up and carrying Toph in his arms "come on, let's get you to bed."

Sokka walked into Toph's bedroom and gently placed Toph on her bed before covering her in a blanket and tucking her in. He placed a soft kiss on her temple and began to walk out the door.

"Sokka?" Toph said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Sokka simply smiled and continued his exit.

"Wait!" Toph said sitting back up.

"Yeah?" He asked turning around, confused.

"Can you, um" she stuttered "stay, maybe?"

"Of course" He smiled before making his way next to Toph and laying down. He wrapped an arm around her body and pulled her close. "Sleep, you need it" he said as she already fell asleep with a slight smile on her face.


	3. Tradition

"Ready Lin?" Toph called out while walking towards the girl's room.

Lin jumped out if her doorway with a large smile "Ready!"

Toph smiled and scooped her daughter up, into her arms "Good, let's go find Daddy now."

"In the kitchen!" Sokka called.

Toph walked into the kitchen, enjoying the smell and crackling of a meal from the stove "Whatcha making, Meathead?" she asked as she placed Lin down in her kiddy chair.

"Just some meat with onions" he said while taking the pan and emptying it onto three plates "figured we needed just a little something before we head to the rabbits' house" he chuckled.

"Good idea!" Toph chuckled as she sat down next to Lin and began cutting the meat further more for Lin to chew "I still can't believe its been fifteen years..."

"I know" Sokka sighed while cutting a piece of meat and putting it in his mouth and chewing. "Fifteen years..." Sokka pondered "Can you believe we even survived that day?"

Toph began feeding Lin while shaking her head "We have Suki to thank for that."

Sokka looked down and mumbled "Suki..."

Toph put an arm around Sokka and then kissed his head "I'm sure she's up there with Yue watching over you."

"I'm in for trouble when I die" he chuckled and continued eating.

"What time is it?" Toph asked while eating "We don't want to be too late like last year," she laughed "I don't want me ear to be chewed off by Katara again."

Sokka checked the time before groaning "We only have about ten minutes before we go."

"Well, we better finish up then" Toph stated.

With that, they quickly finished their meal and headed out to Air Temple Island. When they arrived, they found their family and friends already enjoying the night and excited to see them.

"Toph! Sokka! Glad you could join!" Aang happily greeted "And not too late this year!" he laughed.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world" Sokka smiled before hugging his brother-in-law. "We know how important this tradition is to, not only us, but the world."

"Fifteen years, huh?" Zuko walked over "the war has been over for FIFTEEN years now. Feels like it was just yesterday."

"Yeah" Toph agreed while putting Lin down to go play with the other children. "Can we get the drinks going?" Toph asked.

"Of course, I'll be back with two" Aang chippered before walking off.

"I'm gonna go check on Mai, she's inside. She's not feeling well." Zuko said before walking towards the Temple.

"Toph? Are you alright?" Sokka asked while wrapping an arm around Toph.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine" Toph sighed "I just don't understand why we have this tradition, celebrating the day we almost died! I mean, I understand why everyone else does but I don't understand why I do... It doesn't bring any positive things to mind for me."

Sokka nodded "I understand" Sokka paused "but you know, you shouldn't think of it as an almost death but a saved life. Celebrate the life you still have!"

Toph sighed "I guess you're right but its just hard because even after the war ended, everyone went their separate ways and I was alone, so alone. This just all reminds me of so much..."

"Than how about we get your mind off of things" Sokka smirked while taking Toph's hand and pulling her in his direction.

"Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see, its somewhere we can be alone and just relax" Sokka said as Aang passed by and handed them their drinks.

They walked into the temple, through the halls, all the way to the back until they reached a "closet" door. When Sokka opened the door, a staircase appeared before them. Sokka smiled before going up the stairs with Toph.

When they got to the top, Sokka opened another door and led them onto the temple roof "Ta-dah! Here we are!"

"The roof?" Toph questioned.

"Yeah," Sokka smiled and kissed Toph's temple "we are alone and there's a nice breeze!"

"Ok" Toph agreed.

"Come here" Sokka said while sitting down.

Toph smiled and sat down in his lap, resting her head against his shoulder.

Sokka wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close while stroking her hair.

"Thanks Sokka, you always know what I need" Toph said while cuddling up with Sokka.

"If you want, we can make this our little tradition?" Sokka suggested.

"I think I like that idea" Toph smiled.


	4. At Last

"She's beautiful" Sokka said with tears in his eyes as he held the small newborn girl in his arms for the first time.

"And healthy" Katara added with a smile before squeezing Toph's shoulder and saying "she can see too."

Toph laid back with a sigh and a small smile at the news she had spent nine months agonizing over. "Thank the spirits" she said in an exhausted, raspy voice.

Sokka sat down next to Toph on the edge of the bed, cradling the small newborn in his large arms. "Do you want to hold her?" he asked Toph.

Toph could only nod with her arms out, finding that words could not possibly explain how much she had wanted to hold, to finally 'see' her child.

Sokka smiled after carefully placing the newborn into Toph's arm and watching Toph hold the newborn close and gently running her fingers over the features of the newborn. "She's strong, I can feel it" she whispered "destined to be an earthbender, just like her mother" Toph choked out.

"And she will be a great one, just like her mother too" Sokka smiled.

"She's perfect" Toph spoke while stroking small black hairs on the newborn's head. "What should we name her?" she asked facing Sokka.

"How about Lin?" Sokka suggested.

"After the girl who died recently?" Toph questioned.

"Yeah, who else better to name your daughter after than such a brave girl who sacrificed herself for the better of others?"

Toph smiled "You're right, Lin is a great name for her and she's your daughter too!" Toph punched Sokka in the arm "maybe not genetically, but you'll be more of her father than anyone else."

Sokka smiled as he rubbed his arm before placing a kiss on Toph's sweaty forehead and then placing his finger in Lin's tiny hand "that will be true."

"Good."


End file.
